WASHINGTON -- Congress returned to face an impatient President Clinton and a looming budget gap that will force Republicans to hack away at the administration's initiatives all summer if the GOP is to live within its spending targets.

The House Appropriations Committee fell to the chore quickly, crafting a $34.9 billion bill that would cut $1.16 billion from the president's Commerce Department budget, including $160 million to make the Internet more accessible to poor families. Regulatory and trade agencies face reductions...